Accident prone car brands

[Rudy Tamasz]

In my country there's been quite a few discussions lately on Web forums about road accidents. Although statistics doesn't support it numerically, BMW drivers are gaining a horrible reputation. There were a few highly publisized accidents with fatalities that involved BMWs. Based on that people start thinking that BMW is a preferred car for aggressive idiots. Forum visitors often describe BMW drivers as reckless teens or tweens who buy a dated Beemer with the first cash they earn and then crash it at high speed showing off to their girlfriends killing them in the process.

A usual discussion about this would go like this:

A: Surprise, surprise. Another high speed crash with fatalities. A BMW involved.
B: All BMW drivers need to have their heads checked.
C: You misrable beggars! You envy us cool BMW folks because you cannot afford BMWs yourselves!
D: Media like to give BMW a bad name, that's why they never cover accidents with other brands involved, etc.

Poor BMW. In '90s their cars had a reputation of gangsters' cars and now they have a reputation of reckless drivers' cars. I was wondering, do other brands in other countries have a reputation for accidents?

[SGWilko]

My FD drives a BMW - he has no concept of;

driving at a sensible speed, and

what indicators are for.

Other than that, he is a great driver!

[Mark]

The other day I was cruising along as usual in my BMW coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars.


First off, I couldn't believe that the volume of traffic DIDN'T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the slip road! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway! (The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.)
Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the BMW lane. (Why do underlings use this lane? Surely everyone knows it is for BMW drivers only?)
Anyway, once I was in the BMW lane and posing along at 110mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the BMW lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!


Naturally, I got to within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn't be in the BMW lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.


Of course, once he realised it was a BMW behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me! He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.


Needless to say, I was eager oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew - that my car goes fast! Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my driver's licence to a Police Station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They're not free points either - they're £20 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the Police Station said that because I drive a BMW, it won't be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won't even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me! See, now THAT's the sort of respect you get when you buy and drive a BMW.

[Dave B]

Rover 75s seem to be the only car named after the average age of their drivers. Whenever I see one ahead I can guarantee I'll catch it up whereupon I'll be stuck at painfully a slow speed until the driver ether (a) turns off without indicating or (b) passes away at the wheel, whichever comes first.

[inimitablestoo]

In all my years of reading What Car? magazine, I can only remember reading about two of their long-term fleet cars having accidents involving badgers. They were both Mazdas. Answers on a postcard please...

[SGWilko]

Rover 75s seem to be the only car named after the average age of their drivers. Whenever I see one ahead I can guarantee I'll catch it up whereupon I'll be stuck at painfully a slow speed until the driver ether (a) turns off without indicating or (b) passes away at the wheel, whichever comes first.

.....or the fuel pump burns out due to the really poor design of the saddle fuel tank which, if you allow to run below one quarter full, the syphon from one side starves one of the fuel pumps which fails due to running dry. Very common, and came about as a result of the design when rover was owned by.....

.....guess who???????

[Captain VXR]

I have to say its Audis that have the worst drivers from what Ive seen

[fred2265]

Yes, I'd go with Audis too.

[Rollo]

Toyotas.

Land Cruisers on Sydney's affluent North Shore are usually driven by mums who are also too short to see beyond the window line of their car. 5 of the 7 children killed by motor cars (since I've been working where I am) were killed by Land Cruisers, one by an X5 and one by a Range Rover.

Camry and Corolla drivers haven't for the most part worked out that their cars have indicator stalks. They appear to be driven by people who want a reliable motor car but also have either no concept of traffic around them, or they're just too lazy to check in their rear view mirrors.

My little red Ka was written off by a lady in a Yaris who mistook the green arrow for the normal green light and accelerated into the back of it.

[driveace]

Well I know which cars you see broken down most on the German motorways,parked at the side with the bonnets up and safety triangle,put up and hazard lights on,it's usually a BMW